Apparatus for improving accessories

ABSTRACT

An apparatus includes a container, a plurality of lights and a circuit. The container may comprise an outer shell comprising a material configured to protect contents of the apparatus and an inner surface. The outer shell may be configured to open to enable the contents to be placed on the inner surface. A cavity may be formed within the container when the outer shell is closed. The plurality of lights implemented on the inner surface may each be configured to adjust a characteristic of light output in response to a signal. The circuit may be configured to generate the signal in response to an input. The circuit may be implemented between the outer shell and the inner surface. A reactive material of the contents of the container may be configured to change appearance in response to the characteristic of light.

This application relates to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/068,004,filed on Aug. 26, 2020. This application also relates to U.S.Provisional Application 63/048,832, filed on Jul. 7, 2020. Each of thementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to fashion and technology accessories generallyand, more particularly, to a method and/or apparatus for implementing anapparatus for improving accessories.

BACKGROUND

Some estimates indicate that at least 60% of people wear eyeglasses.Frames for eyeglasses come in many different styles and colorcombinations. However, purchasing eyeglasses can be very expensive.Since eyeglasses have a considerable cost, many eyeglass wearers onlybuy a single pair of eyeglasses.

Despite having many options for style, it can be prohibitively expensivefor an eyeglass wearer to have more than one option. Conventionaleyeglass frames lack the ability to change appearance based on thedesire of the user. This inability to change style includes, but is notlimited to, color, style and design. Eyeglasses wearers are effectively‘stuck’ with the eyeglasses they first chose when they fill a lensprescription.

Similar issues exist with other types accessories (both wearable andnon-wearable). Items such as earbuds, watches and smartphone cases mightbe available in multiple color options. However, buying multipleversions of the same product in order to have multiple options forcolors can be prohibitively expensive, increases waste, and requires theproduct manufacturer to produce multiple different versions of the sameproduct. Often times, accessories are only made available in a singlecolor (i.e., black), because the market for other colors might not be aslarge. Both manufacturers and consumers can be limited to a fixedcolor/design. There is an inability to change the color/design of anaccessory based on a desire of the user. The ability to change theappearance of the accessory may provide the consumer with enjoyment ofthe product.

It would be desirable to implement an apparatus for improvingaccessories.

SUMMARY

The invention concerns an apparatus comprising a container, a pluralityof lights and a circuit. The container may comprise an outer shellcomprising a material configured to protect contents of the apparatusand an inner surface. The outer shell may be configured to open toenable the contents to be placed on the inner surface. A cavity may beformed within the container when the outer shell is closed. Theplurality of lights implemented on the inner surface may each beconfigured to adjust a characteristic of light output in response to asignal. The circuit may be configured to generate the signal in responseto an input. The circuit may be implemented between the outer shell andthe inner surface. A reactive material of the contents of the containermay be configured to change appearance in response to the characteristicof light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and the appended claims and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating changing a style of a reactive objectby applying light.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of the inventionimplemented as a pair of eyeglasses.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a containerimplementing lights configured to alter the appearance of an inserteditem.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of the containerimplementing lights configured to alter the appearance of eyeglasses andprovide storage for the eyeglasses.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a reactiveobject painted with a pattern using a photochromic dye.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a reactiveobject with an altered style in response to applying light.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating activating color channels anddeactivating color channels of a reactive object by applying varioustypes of light.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modification to arms of eyeglassesfor exposing more surface area to light.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present inventionin the context of earbuds.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating various sizes of containers.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating lights implemented in the interior ofa container.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating color selection using a smartphonecompanion app.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for applying a desiredcolor to a reactive object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention include providing an apparatus forimproving accessories that may (i) provide a color-changing dye/ink forvarious items, (ii) alter a color-changing dye/ink using lighting, (iii)provide a storage container that applies light to an item withcolor-changing dye/ink, (iv) control lighting characteristics thataffect how a reactive material changes appearance, (v) enable user inputfrom a smartphone application, (vi) respond to voice commands, (vii)provide audio feedback, (viii) enable a color and/or pattern change foraccessories such as fashion accessories and technology accessories,and/or (ix) be implemented as one or more integrated circuits.

Embodiments of the present invention may be configured to enable anon-demand change of an appearance, design and/or color of an object. Theon-demand change of appearance, design and/or color may be enabled usinga color changing dye and/or ink. For example, the color changing dyeand/or ink may comprise a photochromic material. The photochromicmaterial may be configured to react (e.g., change color) in response tolight. The type of object having the color changing dye and/or ink maybe any type of object (e.g., a watch, earbuds, a pet collar, a petharness, eyeglass frames, a guitar, a smartphone case, shoes, shoelaces, toys, figurines, etc.).

In one example, the embodiments of the present invention may be appliedto frames that hold prescription and nonprescription lenses. Forexample, the appearance, design and/or color of eyeglass frames may bechanges in response to light. In another example, the embodiments of thepresent invention may be applied to earbuds. The type of accessoriesimplemented using the embodiments of the present invention may be variedaccording to the design criteria of a particular invention.

Embodiments of the present invention may be configured to enable a userto change an appearance of an object based of a desire of the user. Inone example, the photochromic material may be incorporated into an item(e.g., in the shape of eyeglasses). The reactive material may beconfigured to change a physical appearance (e.g., a color, a pattern ofcolors, etc.). The change in appearance may comprise, but is not limitedto, creating an object using a structure with photochromic dyes. Forexample, the photochromic dyes may be added to (e.g., inserted in),painted in/on the object. The object may be constructed to achieve theability to change appearance in response to light.

The photochromic dyes may be influenced by applying light. Applicationof light to the photochromic dye may alter a color configuration of thephotochromic dye (e.g., reprogram the photochromic dye). The applicationof light may provide a combination of activation and/or deactivation tothe photochromic dye. In an example, particular wavelengths of light maycause an activation and/or deactivation of color channels of thephotochromic dye. Selecting the order of application of the wavelengthsof light and the particular amount of time that each wavelength of lightis applied may enable particular combinations of color to be selectedfor the photochromic dye. The result of the application of light mayproduce differentiations in the appearance of the dye.

The differentiation in the dye may comprise a uniform color. Forexample, the application of light may result in the photochromic dyefrom changing from one color to another color (e.g., eyeglasses framesmay change from a solid red color to a solid black color). Thedifferentiation in the dye may comprise a gradient of color. Forexample, one section of the object may have a red color, another sectionmay have a blue color, and between the two sections may transition fromred to blue. One or both of the two colors of the gradient may bechanged by the application of light. The differentiation in dye maycomprise a color pattern. For example, the dye may comprise a stripedpattern. The application of light may result in the two colors of thestriped pattern changing. For example, a tiger stripe pattern (e.g.,alternating orange and black stripes) may be changed to a candy canestripe pattern (e.g., alternating red and white stripes) in response tothe application of light. The process of changing color/design may berepeated numerous times to provide the user with multiple options forpossible patterns and/or designs (e.g., floral patterns, animal picturessuch as dogs or cats, trees or other nature scenes, etc.). The type ofpattern and/or the color change of the reactive material in response tothe light may be varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

The lighting that affects the color/style of the photochromic dye may beimplemented in a container. The container may be a separate item fromthe object. In one example, the object with the photochromic dye may bea pair of eyeglasses and the container may be an eyeglasses container.The container may work in conjunction with the style changing object.The container may comprise lighting elements configured to interact withthe style changing object, a transmitter for communication with anexternal device (e.g., a smart phone), a power supply (e.g., a battery)and/or a circuit for controlling the lighting. An interior of thecontainer may enable the environment to be controlled in order toprovide efficient and/or controlled lighting to the photochromic dye.

The appearance of the style changing object may be changed multipletimes. For example, each application of the light may enable the user tochange the color and/or appearance of the style changing object. Thechange of style may be semi-permanent. For example, the style selectedin response to the application of light may remain until anotherapplication of light is applied. Some change over time may occur (e.g.,as sunlight and/or other ambient lighting in the environment is appliedover time between the controlled applications of lighting using thecontainer). Generally, the change of style may not be permanent (e.g.,the style may be changed as desired by the user). Based on theapplication of light, the same style may be repeated or a differentstyle may be selected.

Referring to FIG. 1, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. A system 100 is shown. The system maycomprise a container 102. The container may comprise a block (orcircuit) 104, a block (or circuit) 106, a block (or circuit) 108, ablock (or circuit) 110, a block (or circuit) 112, a block (or circuit114) and/or a block (or circuit) 116. The circuit 104 may implementlighting elements (e.g., a number of lights). The circuit 106 mayimplement a control circuit 106. The circuit 108 may implement a powersource. The circuit 110 may implement speakers and/or an audioprocessor. The circuit 112 may implement a communication device. Thecircuit 114 may implement a microphone 114. The circuit 116 mayimplement one or more input/output ports. The container 102 may compriseother components (not shown). The number and/or arrangement of thecomponents of the container 102 may be varied according to the designcriteria of a particular implementation.

The light elements 104 may comprise a number of lighting elements 130a-130 n and colored lighting elements 102. The lighting elements 130a-130 n may implement ultraviolet (UV) lights. The colored lightingelements 102 may comprise block (or circuits) 134 a-134 n and/or blocks(or circuits) 136 a-136 n. The circuits 134 a-134 n may implementcolored LEDs. The circuits 136 a-136 n may implement colored LEDs.Generally, the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n andthe colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may generate light at differentwavelengths. The UV lights 130 a-130 n may generate light in theultraviolet color spectrum and the colored lights 132 may generate lightin the visible color spectrum (e.g., approximately 400 nm-700 nm). Inone example, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n may comprise blue LEDs and thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n may comprise red LEDs. In another example, thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n may comprise green LEDs and the colored LEDs136 a-136 n may comprise blue LEDs.

In some embodiments, the light elements 104 may comprise a single typeof light emitting element (e.g., multiple light elements of a singletype). The single light element may comprise a single diode/cathode/bulbconfigured to emit a large range of wavelengths (e.g., fromapproximately 200 nm to 700 nm or more, to cover the UV light spectrum,the visible light spectrum and/or the invisible light spectrum).Multiple types of light elements may not be necessary (e.g., instead ofthe UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n one type of light element may be implemented).The type of light elements implemented and/or the light generated by theUV lights 130 a-130 n and the colored lights 132 may be varied accordingto the design criteria of a particular implementation.

A reactive object 140 is shown. The reactive object 140 is showncomprising a photochromic dye/ink 142. The reactive object 140 may bethe style changing object. For example, the photochromic dye/ink 142 maybe configured to react to characteristics of lighting to change color,style and/or appearance.

In some embodiments, the photochromic dye/ink 142 may be layered.Different color/design effects may be achieved by layering thephotochromic ink/dye 142 (e.g., as opposed to mixing different colorchannels of the photochromic ink/dye 142). In an example, layering mayfacilitate a solid color change, at the cost of achieving consistentpatterns. In another example, mixing may facilitate achieving consistentpatterns, at the cost of a complete solid color change. The type ofapplication of the photochromic dye/ink 142 to the reactive object 140may be varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

Characteristics of the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights132 may be controlled by the control circuit 106. The characteristics ofthe UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 may comprise anintensity of light, a wavelength of light and/or which of the lightingelements 130 a-130 n are active.

The control circuit 106 may be configured to control the characteristicsof the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132. The controlcircuit 106 may be configured to receive input and generate output. Forexample, the control circuit 106 may be configured to receiveinstructions from a user. The instructions may comprise a desired color.The control circuit 106 may be configured to interpret the instructionsand determine the characteristics of the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/orthe colored lights 132 to apply in order to achieve the desired color.In one example, the control circuit 106 may be configured to apply theUV lights 130 a-130 n for a particular amount of time, while the coloredlights 132 are deactivated. In another example, the control circuit 106may be configured to apply a combination of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 nand the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n for a particular amount of time whilethe UV lights 130 a-130 n are deactivated.

A final resulting appearance of the reactive object 140 and/or thephotochromic ink/dye 142 may be changed in response to a modification ofthe reactive object 140 and/or the photochromic ink/dye 142. In oneexample, the modification of the reactive object 140 and/or thephotochromic ink/dye 142 may comprise one or more of sintering thephotochromic dye/ink 142, applying multiple layers (e.g., layerscomprising various color channels) of the photochromic dye/ink 142 tothe reactive object 140, mixing multiple color channels of thephotochromic dye/ink 142 before applying the photochromic dye/ink 142 tothe reactive object 140, applying a photochromic coating on the reactiveobject 140 in addition to the photochromic dye/ink 142 and/or applying anon-photochromic coating on the reactive object 140 in addition to thephotochromic dye/ink 142. The types of colors/designs selected for thereactive object 140 may be partially affected by a base color of thereactive object 140 The types of colors/designs selected for thereactive object 140 may be partially affected by exposing thephotochromic dye/ink 142 to heat/sintering before application to thereactive object 140. The types of colors/designs selected for thereactive object 140 may be partially affected by the material of thereactive object 140 (e.g., wood, plastic, metal, cardboard, etc.). Thetypes of colors/designs selected for the reactive object 140 may bepartially affected by a type of covering (e.g., an additional layer)and/or coating applied on top of the photochromic ink/dye 142 (e.g., aUV coating, glass, acrylic, plastic, waterproofing/weatherproofingmaterials, etc.). In some embodiments, control circuit 106 may beconfigured to select the characteristics of the light elements 104 basedon the type of material, the type of covering, the base color and/orother attributes of the reactive object 140 and/or the photochromic ink142.

In some embodiments, the control circuit 106 may comprise a processorand/or a system on chip (SoC). The control circuit 106 may comprise amemory. The control circuit 106 may be configured to receive inputand/or generate output for the communication device 112 and/or the I/Odevices 116. The control circuit 106 may be configured to receive inputfrom the microphone 114. The control circuit 106 may be configured toprovide output to be played by the speakers 110.

In some embodiments, the power source 108 may comprise a battery. Thebattery 108 may be configured to provide power to the components in thecontainer 102 (e.g., the lights 104, the control circuit 106, etc.). Insome embodiments, the power source 108 may comprise voltage regulationcircuitry and/or a power converter. For example, the power source 108may be configured to receive an external power source (e.g., an AC powersupply, input from a USB port, etc.) and convert the external powersource to be usable by the components of the container 102. Implementingthe power source 108 as a battery may enable the container 102 to beportable.

The speakers 110 may be configured to generate audio output. In anexample, the audio output may be a notification chime. In one example,the notification chime may provide an indication when a sufficientamount of lighting has been applied for achieving a style change of thereactive object 140. In another example, the notification chime mayprovide a first indication of when the application of the UV lights 130a-130 n has been completed and second indication of when the applicationof the colored lights 132 has been completed.

The communication device 112 may be configured to enable wirelesscommunication. For example, the communication device 112 may implementBluetooth communication and/or Wi-Fi communication. The communicationdevice 112 may be configured to communicate to a smartphone. Forexample, the communication device 112 may be configured to receiveinstructions (e.g., a desired style and/or color) for altering theappearance of the reactive object 140 from a smartphone. For example, asmartphone application (e.g., a companion application) may provide auser interface to enable the user to select a desired color and/orpattern. The control circuit 106 may be configured to select thecharacteristics of the light elements 130 a-130 n in response to thedesired color and/or pattern selected.

The microphone 114 may be configured to receive audio. In someembodiments, voice instructions may be received. The voice instructionsmay comprise a desired color and/or pattern. The control circuit 106 maybe configured to select the characteristics of the UV lights 130 a-130 nand/or the colored lights 132 in response to the desired color and/orpattern selected in response to interpreting the voice instructions. Forexample, a user may state “change color to red” and the control circuit106 may interpret the voice command and select the characteristics ofthe UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 to change thephotochromic dye/ink 142 to a red color.

The input/output components 116 may be configured to send and/or receivedata. In one example, the I/O components 116 may be a USB connection.The I/O components 116 may be configured to receive input (e.g., aninstruction for changing a style/color of the reactive object 140).

In some embodiments, the I/O components 116 may be configured to providea power source for the reactive object 140. In an example, the reactiveobject 140 may be a chargeable item (e.g., wireless headphones, asmartphone, a smartwatch, etc.) that may consume power while in use. TheI/O components 116 may be configured to provide power to enable chargingof the reactive object 140. In one example, the I/O components 116 maycomprise a USB connection that may plug into the reactive object 140 torecharge a battery of the reactive object 140. The I/O components 116may be configured to recharge the reactive object 140 at any time (e.g.,regardless of whether the light components 104 are active or not). In anexample, the I/O components 116 may be configured to recharge power tothe reactive object 140 while the color/design of the photochromic ink142 is being activated/deactivated. In another example, the I/Ocomponents 116 may be configured to recharge power to the reactiveobject 140 when the container 102 is used for storage. In an example,the I/O components 116 may supply power to the reactive object 140 forrecharging from the power source 108.

Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram illustrating changing a style of areactive object by applying light is shown. The reactive object 140 isshown within the container 102. The UV lights 130 a-130 n, the coloredLEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shownactivated. The UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 nand/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may apply light to the reactiveobject 140, while the reactive object 140 is within the container 102.In the example shown, all of the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shown as active forillustrative purposes. Generally, either the UV lights 130 a-130 n areactivate while the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136a-136 n are inactive or the UV lights 130 a-130 n are inactive while acombination of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136a-136 n are active.

The container 102 may provide a controlled environment for the UV lights130 a-130 n and the colored lights 132. For example, the container 102may block external light sources from affecting the characteristics ofthe UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132. By providing acontrolled environment, the control circuit 106 may ensure that theselected light characteristics provide the desired color/style for thereactive object 140. In the example shown, the photochromic dye/ink 142is shown reacting to the activated UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or thecolored lights 132. For example, the UV lights 130 a-130 n may beapplied to the reactive object 140 first, and then the colored lights132 may be applied to the reactive object 140 next. In an example, thereaction of the photochromic dye/ink 142 may be a change in color.

In some embodiments, the reactive object 140 may be a pair ofeyeglasses. For example, the frames of the eyeglasses may be paintedand/or contain the photochromic dye 142. In some embodiments, thereactive object 140 may be a smartphone case/cover. In some embodiments,the reactive object 140 may be earphones (or earbuds). In someembodiments, the reactive object 140 may be a watch. The type of objectused as the reactive object 140 may be varied according to the designcriteria of a particular implementation.

Referring to FIG. 3, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of theinvention implemented as a pair of eyeglasses is shown. The reactiveobject 140 is shown as a pair of eyeglasses. The eyeglasses 140 may beone example type of object that may be a reactive object.

The eyeglasses 140 may comprise a frame 200, arms (or temple parts) 202a-202 b and/or lenses 204 a-204 b. The frame 200 may be a materialforming a structure that encircles and/or supports the lenses 204 a-204b. The frames 200 may generally be the portion of the eye apparatus 140that may be most prominently seen. The temple parts 202 a-202 b may beconfigured to secure the eyewear apparatus 140 to the user. The lenses204 a-204 b may be prescription (e.g., corrective) or non-prescriptionlenses (e.g., tinted sunglasses).

The reactive material 142 is shown. In the example shown, the reactivematerial 142 is shown as a dotted box on the temple part 202 b. In oneexample, the reactive material 142 may be painted onto the eyeglasses140. For example, a surface of the temple parts 202 a-202 b and theframes 200 may be painted using the reactive material 142. Generally,the frames 200 may be where a variation of appearance resulting from theapplication of light to the dye/ink 142 may appear most prominently. Forexample, the glasses 140 may be created with the dye/ink 142 painted onthe frames 200.

In some embodiments, the dye/ink 142 may be a liquid ink. In an example,the frames 200 and/or the temple parts 202 a-202 b may be a clearplastic material and the dye/ink 142 may be a liquid contained withinthe plastic material. In another example, the dye/ink 142 may be infusedor concealed within the frames 200 (e.g., a change in appearance may betriggered using lights or possibly an electrical pulse).

Text 206 is shown on the arm 202 b. Similar text to the text 206 may beon the arm 202 a (not visible from the perspective shown). The text 206may comprise a different material and/or a different coating than therest of the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b. The differentmaterial and/or coating (e.g., a UV resistant coating) may enable thetext 206 to be visible in a different color than the color of the frames200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b. For example, the material and/orcoating of the text 206 may react differently to the same applicationand/or time of application to the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or thecolored lights 132 than the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b.

In one example, the text 206 may be highlighted when a different coloris applied to the text 206 than the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202b. In another example, the text 206 may be hidden when the same color isapplied to the text 206 as the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b.In the example shown, the text 206 may comprise letters. In anotherexample, the text 206 may comprise numbers (e.g., a number worn by aplayer on a sports team). In some embodiments, the text 206 may comprisea logo and/or other type of image. The type of design used for the text206 may be varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

The text 206 may enable a form of gamification for the wearer. When thereactive object 140 is removed from the container 102 after the lighthas been applied, the text 206 may be hidden (e.g., the same color asthe rest of the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b). Over time, thecolor for the text 206 may fade at a faster or slower rate than thecolor for the frames 200 and/or the arms 202 a-202 b, which may enablethe text 206 to be revealed slowly over time. For example, the text 206may be used as a secret message that is revealed over time.

Sleeves 210 a-210 b are shown on the respective arms 202 a-202 b. Insome embodiments, the sleeves 210 a-210 b may be added to the eyeglasses140 (e.g., to improve functionality or design). The sleeves 210 a-210 bmay also be created using the photochromic dye/ink 142. For example, thesleeves 210 a-210 b may enable the frames 200 and/or temple parts 202a-202 b to have one type of design and the sleeves may have an alternatedesign. In the example shown, the sleeves 210 a-210 b may cover aportion of the arms 202 a-202 b and the arms 202 a-202 b are shownhaving one design and the sleeves 210 a-210 b are shown having adifferent design. For example, the sleeves 210 a-210 b may comprise adifferent composition of the dye/ink 142 and/or a different coating(e.g., a partial UV coating) than the arms 202 a-202 b to enabledifferent designs when exposed to the same amount and time of the UVlights 130 a-130 n and the colored lights 132 while in the container102.

In some embodiments, the ability to change the style/design of theeyeglasses 140 may be implemented by placing the eyeglasses 140 withinthe container 102. In some embodiments, the ability to change thestyle/design of the eyeglasses 140 may be implemented by using a prismconfigured to channel light emitted by an LED from a smartphone.

One style of eyeglasses 140 is shown as an illustrative example. Variousalterations may be made to the eyeglasses 140. Alterations may comprise,but are not limiting to, adjusting the size of the eye apparatus 140 tofit user preference as well as minimal altercations that may increaseaffordability and performance without changing the inherent function ofthe eye apparatus 140.

Referring to FIG. 4, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of acontainer implementing lights configured to alter the appearance of aninserted item is shown. The container 102 is shown. The container 102 isshown open with no object inside. In the example shown, the container102 may be implemented as a clamshell design.

The container 102 may comprise an outer shell 252 a-252 b. The outershell 252 a may be a top portion of the clamshell design and the outershell 252 b may be a bottom portion of the clamshell design. The outershell 252 a-252 b may open and close and may be made of material thatprovides protection to the contents inside of the container 102.

The container 102 may comprise an inner surface 254 a-254 b. Thereactive object 140 may rest on the inner surface 254 a-254 b.Generally, the inner surface 254 a-254 b may comprise a material thatmay prevent the reactive object 140 from being damaged when within thecontainer 102 (e.g., padding to prevent scratches to the lenses 204a-204 b). For example, the material of the inner surface 254 a-254 b maybe glass, fabric, mirrors, more lights, etc.

The UV lights 130 a-130 n are shown on the inner surface 254 a-254 b.The colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shownon the inner surface 254 a-254 b. In the example shown, the UV lights130 a-130 n are shown as a separate strip of lights from the coloredLEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n. In the example shown,the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shownin the same strip of lights in an alternating pattern. In the exampleshown, the UV lights 130 a-130 n and the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n andthe colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shown as a number of round lightingelements. In another example, the UV lights 130 a-130 n and the coloredlights 132 may be part of the same strip of lights (e.g., in analternating pattern). In yet another example, each of the UV lights 130a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 nmay each have a separate strip of lights. While two strips of lights areshown, multiple (e.g., 3-10) strips of lights may be implemented. In anexample, the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n may have a small rectangular shape. The size,shape and/or layout of the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be varied according tothe design criteria of a particular implementation.

The UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 may be withinthe container 102 to emit light onto the reactive object 140 when thereactive object 140 is inside the container 102. Some of the lightelements (e.g., the UV lights 130 a-130 i, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 iand/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 i) are on the top portion of the innersurface 254 a and some of the light elements (e.g., the UV lights 130j-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 j-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 j-136n) are on the bottom portion of the inner surface 254 b. The UV lights130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 may be located throughout theinner surface 254 a-254 b to ensure that light may be applied to allsurfaces of the reactive object 140 (e.g., to apply even lighting and/ora consistent application of the light characteristics).

The UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n may comprise LED lighting elements. The LED UVlights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs136 a-136 n may be configured to emit light at a wavelength that may becontrollable by the control circuit 106. In an example, the colored LEDs134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may comprise RGBelements and the input to the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be configured to select a particular coloroutput. For example, the color output of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 nand/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be one of the characteristicsthat affects the change in appearance of the reactive material 142. Inone example, one or more of the colored lights 132 may be common cathodeLEDs. In another example, one or more of the colored lights 132 may becommon anode LEDs.

In some embodiments, the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may comprise a LED drivercircuit configured to receive an input from the control circuit 106. TheLED driver circuit may be configured to generate a particular lightcharacteristic for the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n in response to an input from thecontrol circuit 106. For example, the LED driver circuit may beconfigured to convert an instruction from the control circuit 106 intoelectrical signals usable by the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n for applying the variouscharacteristics (e.g., a color (e.g., an intensity of red light, bluelight and/or green light), a wavelength, an saturation, a brightnessand/or a frequency) of the LED elements 130 a-130 n.

In some embodiments, the UV lights 130 a-130 n may be configured to emitultraviolet (UV) light. In some embodiments, the UV lights 130 a-130 nmay be configured to emit infrared (IR) light. For example, thecharacteristics of the light emitted by the UV lights 130 a-130 n, thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n maycomprise a combination of RGB lighting, UV light and/or IR light. Thetechnology and/or type of lighting implemented as the UV lights 130a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136n may be varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

Various hardware components are shown as part of the container 102.Generally, the hardware components (e.g., the control circuit 106, thewireless communication device 112, the power supply 108, the speaker110) may be located in the container 102 between the outer shell 252a-252 b and the inner surface 254 a-254 b.

A speaker grille 260 is shown on the outer shell portion 252 b. Thespeaker grille 260 may enable audio played by the speaker 110 to beemitted clearly. For example, the speaker 110 may play a chime when theapplication of light to the reactive object 140 has been completed.

A cable 270 is shown connected to an I/O port 116. The I/O port 116 maybe configured to receive data and/or power from the cable 270. In anexample, the cable 270 may be a USB cable. The I/O port 116 may beconfigured to transmit power from the cable 270 to the power source 108.For example, the container 102 may be powered using an external powersupply (e.g., by plugging in the USB cable 270 and/or via wirelesscharging).

In the example shown, the cable 270 is shown extending outside of thecontainer 102. In some embodiments, the cable 270 and/or the I/O port116 may be within the container 102. For example, the I/O port 116 maybe implemented on the inner surface 254 a-254 b. Implementing the I/Oport 116 on the inner surface 254 a-254 b may enable the battery 108 torecharge the power of the reactive object 140.

The container 102 may be configured to act as an asset to the reactiveobject 140. For example, the container 102 may be configured to storethe reactive object 140. In some embodiments, the container 102 may beconfigured to charge the reactive object 140 (e.g., rechargeableearbuds, smart glasses, smart watches, etc.). In another example, thecontainer 102 may be equipped with technology to aid the reactive object140 (e.g., enable changing of the color/style). In the example shown,the container 102 may be an eyeglasses case. In another example, thecontainer 102 may be a case for headphones/earbuds. In yet anotherexample, the container 102 may be a case for a watch. In still anotherexample, the container 102 may be a case for a guitar. The size of thecontainer 102 may be made to be appropriate for the size of the reactiveobject 140 (e.g., earbuds may have a smaller size of the container 102than eyeglasses, and a guitar may have a much larger size of thecontainer 102 than eyeglasses). The size and/or shape of the container102 may be varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

Referring to FIG. 5, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of thecontainer implementing lights configured to alter the appearance ofeyeglasses and provide storage for the eyeglasses is shown. An exampleembodiment 300 is shown. The example embodiment 300 may comprise theeyeglasses 140 inside the case 102. For example, the portion of the case102 comprising the inner surface 254 a may be closed over top of theeyeglasses 140. The UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 nand/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be activated by the controlcircuit 106. The light may be applied to the eyeglasses 140 to changethe appearance of the photochromic material 142.

A physical switch 302 is shown on the container 102. The switch 302 maybe configured to activate and/or control characteristics of the lightelements 104. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device 112may be configured to receive instructions from a smartphone app tocontrol the activation of the light elements 104. In some embodiments,the microphone 114 may be configured to receive a voice command from auser to activate and/or control the characteristics of the lightelements 104. The container 102 may be configured to apply the light tothe photochromic dye/ink 142 to change the appearance of the eyeglasses140 (e.g., or headphones or other object).

The speaker 110 may be configured to provide a notification that theprocess of changing the color of the reactive object 140 has beencompleted. In one example, the speaker 110 may generate a buzz or chimesound. In another example, the speaker 110 may provide a recording of aspoken voice to indicate how the appearance of the reactive object 140has changed (e.g., a voice may state “purple glasses are now ready” inresponse to the light characteristics changing the reactive object 140to a purple color.

The user may decide when to place the eyeglasses 140 into the container102. For example, the user may keep a particular design/style long-termby not re-applying the light. The container 102 may be used as aprotective case and/or for recharging the reactive object 140 (e.g.,rechargeable earbuds, a smartphone, a smartwatch, etc.) without applyingthe lighting (e.g., to keep the same style/design).

In some embodiments, the control circuit 106 may be configured to selectdifferent characteristics for the light elements 104 at differentlocations within the container 102. Selecting different characteristicsat different locations within the container 102 may enable applyingdifferent patterns/textures/colors on the reactive object 140 atdifferent portions of the reactive object 140. A fine granularity of theselection of the characteristics of the light elements 104 may enabledetailed textures to be applied to the reactive object 140. Thegranularity and/or resolution of the selection of the characteristics ofthe light emitted by different light elements 104 at different locationswithin the container 102 may be varied according to the design criteriaof a particular implementation.

Referring to FIG. 6, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of areactive object painted with a pattern using a photochromic dye isshown. A portion of the eyeglasses 140 are shown with the frame 200 andthe lens 204 a. The eyeglasses 140 may be painted using the photochromicdye/ink 142.

In the example shown, the frames 200 may be painted with a stripepattern. The stripe pattern may comprise alternating sections 350 a-350n and sections 352 a-352 n. For example, the sections 350 a-350 n may bepainted with different types of photochromic dye/ink 142 than thesections 352 a-352 n. In another example, the sections 350 a-350 n mayhave a coating applied (e.g., a coating that resists the absorption ofUV light), while the sections 352 a-352 n may not have the coatingapplied. The photochromic dye/ink 142 used for the sections 350 a-350 nmay react differently than the photochromic dye/ink 142 used for thesections 352 a-352 n when the same characteristics of light are applied.

In the example shown, the light may not yet have been applied to thesections 350 a-350 n and 352 a-352 n. While a striped pattern is shown,the type of pattern used (e.g., vertical stripes, horizontal stripes,swirls, etc.) may be varied according to the design criteria of aparticular implementation.

Referring to FIG. 7, a diagram illustrating an example embodiment of areactive object with an altered style in response to applying light isshown. The same portion of the eyeglasses 140 is shown as described inassociation with FIG. 6. The portion of the frames 200 and the lens 204a are shown. The alternating sections 350 a-350 n and 352 a-352 n areshown.

In the example shown, the light may have been applied using the lightelements 104. Since different photochromic dye/ink 142 may be applied tothe sections 350 a-350 n compared to the sections 352 a-352 n, thestyle/color, after applying the light from a combination of the lightelements 104, the sections 350 a-350 n and the sections 352 a-352 n mayhave a different appearance. In the example shown, the sections 350a-350 n may appear unshaded and the sections 352 a-352 n may appearunshaded. For example, the sections 350 a-350 n may have a white colorand the sections 352 a-352 n may have a black color (e.g., azebra-stripe pattern). In another example, the sections 350 a-350 n mayhave a red color and the sections 352 a-352 n may have a blue color. Inanother example, the sections 350 a-350 n and the sections 352 a-352 nmay both result in the same color (e.g., a solid color pattern). Thetypes of colors resulting from the application of light may be variedaccording to the design criteria of a particular implementation.

The application of the light to the photochromic dye/ink 142 may resultin an alteration of appearance of the reactive object 140. Theapplication of light from the light elements 104 may result in a changein color. The application of light from the light elements 104 mayresult in a change in design. The photochromic dye/ink 142 may respondto light waves generated by the UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n in order to changeappearance. The control circuit 106 may be configured to manipulate thewavelength of the light output by the light elements 104. In someembodiments, the light elements 104 may alter the characteristics of thelight emitted within the container 102 in response to electronicinstructions.

The reactive object 140 may change in appearance in response to beingplaced into the container 102 to receive the light waves generated bythe light elements 104. In some embodiments, the physical switch 302 maybe used to initiate the change in color (e.g., activate the UV 130 a-130n and then a combination of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n). In some embodiments, the change in color(e.g., activation of the light elements 104 and/or the selection of thecharacteristics of the light elements 104) may be specified using asmart device (e.g., inputting instructions using an app, connecting to asmart home device such as an Alexa/Nest/Siri). The container 102 may beconfigured to provide on-demand changes to the reactive object 140.

Referring to FIG. 8, a diagram illustrating activating color channelsand deactivating color channels of a reactive object by applying varioustypes of light is shown. A sequence of time and/or steps 380 a-380 c isshown. The sequence of time 380 a-380 c may comprise applying a design(e.g., a color change) to the reactive object 140. In the example shown,the reactive object 140 may comprise a pair of eyeglasses. Similarly,the sequence of time/steps 380 a-380 c may apply to the application ofcolor to other types of reactive objects (e.g., a watch, a guitar body,earbuds, etc.). The amount of time of exposure for different types ofobjects may be different.

Generally, the sequence of events shown in the sequence of time 380a-380 c may be similar for various types of objects. In one example, thesequence of time 380 a-380 c may be approximately five minutes long(e.g., approximately two and a half minutes in the first step 380 a andapproximately two and a half minutes in the second step 380 b). Inanother example, the sequence of time may be six minutes long (e.g., oneminute in the first step 380 a and five minutes in the second step 380b). In yet another example, the sequence of time may be sixty secondsfor glasses and/or earbuds. The amount of time in any of the steps ofthe sequence of time 380 a-380 c may be selected dependent on the colorselected by the user and/or the type of reactive object 140. The controlcircuit 106 may be configured to determine the length of time for eachstep of the sequence of time 380 a-380 c in response to the colorselected by the user and/or various attributes of the reactive object140 (e.g., material, additional layers on top of the photochromic ink142, the mixture and/or layers of the photochromic ink 142, etc.). Theamount of time for the sequence of time 380 a-380 c may be variedaccording to the design criteria of a particular implementation.

The step 380 a may be a first step when applying a color and/or designto the reactive object 140. The reactive object 140 may be enclosedwithin the container 102. The UV lights 130 a-130 n, the colored LEDs134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shown in the container102 with the reactive object 140. In the example shown, the noshading/hatching is illustrated on the reactive object 140 to representthat the reactive object is not colored (or the color has faded).

To apply the color to the reactive object 140, the photochromic ink 142may be activated (e.g., initialized, charged or primed). The reactiveobject 140 may be primed by applying light in the ultraviolet spectrumof light. In the container 102, the UV lights 130 a-130 n are shownactivated. In the container 102, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be deactivated. Activating the UV lights130 a-130 n and deactivating the colored lights 132 may enable the lightin the ultraviolet spectrum to be applied to the reactive object 140.The UV light emitted by the UV lights 130 a-130 n may prime thephotochromic ink 142. The photochromic ink 142 may comprise a mixture ofvarious types of photochromic dyes. In one example, the photochromic ink142 may comprise a mixture of all color channels. In another example,the photochromic ink 142 may comprise a combination of one or more ofthe color channels (e.g., a mixture of two types of dyes). Limiting thenumber of photochromic dyes in the photochromic ink 142 applied to thereactive object 140 may reduce a number of final result colors availablebut increase an amount of control of the final result color compared tothe photochromic ink 142 comprising a mixture of all the color channels.The composition of the photochromic ink 142 may be varied according tothe design criteria of a particular implementation.

Priming the photochromic ink 142 may comprise transforming thephotochromic ink 142 from a transparent state to a colored state byabsorbing the UV light generated by the UV lights 130 a-130 n. Forexample, the photochromic ink 142 may comprise a mixture of a cyan,magenta and yellow color (e.g., three different color channels) mixedtogether into a single solution. When the cyan, magenta, and yellowphotochromic colors channels are mixed together into a single solutionand the solution is activated with the UV light generated by the UVlights 130 a-130 n all three color channels may become fully saturated.When the color channels are fully saturated, the photochromic ink 142may have a ‘true color’ (e.g., a black color when a properly mixedcombination of all the color channels for the photochromic ink 142 isapplied, but the true color may vary).

In the example shown, the reactive object 140 may currently be shownhaving the photochromic ink 142 in the transparent state (e.g., allcolor channels deactivated). In some embodiments, the reactive object140 may have a base color (e.g., white or a non-white color when allcolor channels are deactivated). The base color may be implemented toaid the look of the final output color. For example, particular basecolors may improve an appearance of the final result of the photochromicink 142 (e.g., similar to how a base coat of paint or a primer improveshow a paint color looks when applied). In the step 380 a, the UV lights130 a-130 n may activate (e.g., prime) the photochromic ink 142. In oneexample, in the step 380 a the UV lights 130 a-130 n may be active forapproximately 2-3 minutes.

An arrow 382 is shown. The arrow 382 may represent the passage of timefor the step 380 a (e.g., 1 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.). Afterthe step 380 a, the next step in the sequence of time 380 a-380 c may bethe step 380 b. The step 380 b may be a second step when applying acolor and/or design to the reactive object 140. The reactive object 140may be enclosed within the container 102. The UV lights 130 a-130 n, thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shown inthe container 102 with the reactive object 140. In the example shown, ashading and/or cross-hatching effect is illustrated on the reactiveobject 140 to represent that the reactive object 140 is activated (e.g.,all three color channels of the photochromic ink 142 are fullysaturated).

To apply the color to the reactive object 140, after the photochromicink 142 has been activated (e.g., all of the applied color channelsfully activated), particular color channels may be deactivated to resultin a desired color. The photochromic ink 142 may be transformed backfrom the fully colored state to transparent through the absorption ofvisible light (e.g., deactivation). Color channels of the photochromicink 142 may be deactivated by applying light in the visible spectrum oflight. Complete deactivation of all the color channels may result in thephotochromic ink 142 appearing transparent. Partial deactivation ofparticular color channels of the photochromic ink 142 may result in aparticular color and/or pattern (e.g., the desired color/design). In anexample, the process of selecting the desired color/design generallycomprises full activation of the color channels (e.g., applying the UVlight) and then partial deactivation of one or more color channels.Details of the activation and/or deactivation of the photochromic ink142 may be described in “Photo-Chromeleon: Re-Programmable Multi-ColorTextures Using Photochromic Dyes”, Yashua et al., In UIST, pp. 701-712.2019, appropriate portions of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

In the container 102, the UV lights 130 a-130 n are shown deactivated.In the container 102, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs136 a-136 n may be activated. Deactivating the UV lights 130 a-130 n andactivating the colored lights 132 may enable the light in the visiblespectrum or invisible spectrum to be applied to the reactive object 140.The visible light emitted by the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n may deactivate the photochromic ink 142.

To enable the photochromic ink 142 to adjust to a color other than black(e.g., the fully activated state), the colored lights 132 may beselected by the control circuit 106 to deactivate one or more colorchannels. In one example, deactivating the cyan color may result in redcolor of the photochromic ink 142 (e.g., only yellow and magenta remainactivated). Each color channel of the photochromic ink 142 may bedeactivated individually by applying a different wavelength of light inthe visible spectrum. In the example shown, both the colored LEDs 134a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shown activated. However,various combinations of intensity of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/orthe colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be selected by the control circuit 106in order to deactivate the appropriate color channels to adjust thephotochromic ink 142 to the color desired by the user. For example, adeactivation peak for each color channel may be at a differentwavelength in the visible or invisible light spectrum (e.g., 700 nm-800nm may not be visible but may affect the photochromic ink/dye 142).

In one example, shining a blue color from the combination of the coloredlights 132 may deactivate the yellow color channel. In another example,shining a green color from the combination of the colored lights 132 maydeactivate the magenta color channel. In yet another example, shining ared color from the combination of the colored lights 132 may deactivatethe cyan color channel. The control circuit 106 may be configured todeactivate the specific color channels of the photochromic ink 152 byprojecting RGB lighting from the colored lights 132 to reduce saturationlevels in particular color channels in order to select the desired colorfor the reactive object 140.

In the example shown for the step 380 b, the reactive object 140 maycurrently be shown having the photochromic ink 142 in the fullysaturated color state. In the step 380 b, the colored lights 132 maydeactivate one or more color channels of the photochromic ink 142. Inone example, in the step 380 b the colored lights 132 may be active forapproximately 2-3 minutes.

An arrow 384 is shown. The arrow 384 may represent the passage of timefor the step 380 b (e.g., 1 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.). Afterthe step 380 b, the next step in the sequence of time 380 a-380 c may bethe step 380 c. The step 380 c may be the final result after applying acolor and/or design to the reactive object 140. In the step 380 c, thereactive object 140 may not be within the container 102. For example,the reactive object 140 may be the final result of applying thecolor/design of the photochromic ink 142 and may be ready to be worn bythe user. In the example shown, a shading/hatching effect is illustratedon the reactive object 140 to represent that some of the color channelsof the photochromic ink 142 have been deactivated and/or partiallydeactivated (e.g., the three color channels of the photochromic ink 142are no longer fully saturated).

Generally, the color/design of the reactive object 140 may appearclosest to the desired/selected color shortly after the reactive object140 has been removed from the container 102 (e.g., after the colorchannels have been deactivated by the colored lights 132). Over time,the desired color of the reactive object 140 may gradually fade. Forexample, ambient visible and/or invisible light in the environment mayslowly deactivate one or more of the color channels of the photochromicink 142 (e.g., sunlight, artificial light sources in the environment,etc.). The user may perform the sequence of steps 380 a-380 c again tore-apply the desired color or select a different color (e.g., activateall the color channels of the photochromic ink 142 using the UV lights130 a-130 n and then deactivate specific amounts of particular colorchannels using a combination of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n).

Referring to FIG. 9, a diagram illustrating a modification to arms ofeyeglasses for exposing more surface area to light is shown. A view 400of the reactive object 140 is shown. The view 400 may provide an exampleof the reactive object 140 implemented as a pair of eyeglasses. A rearview of the eyeglasses 140 are shown. The eyeglasses 140 may comprisethe frames 200, the arms 202 a′-202 b′ and/or the lenses 204 a-204 b.

Generally, the temple parts (e.g., arms) of eyeglasses may be designedto fold over top of each other (e.g., the right arm folds over top ofthe left arm, or the left arm folds over top of the right arm). Foldingthe temple parts over top of each other enables compact storage ofeyeglasses. However, when the temple parts are folded over top of eachother, the top arm (e.g., the right arm) may substantially block lightfrom reaching the bottom arm (e.g., the left arm). If the one templepart blocks the light from reaching another temple part, the templeparts may block the UV lights 130 a-130 n from activating thephotochromic ink 142 and/or the colored lights 132 from deactivatingcolor channels of the photochromic ink 142 when the reactive object 140is in the container 102.

A modified fold 402 is shown. The eyeglasses 140 may implement themodified fold 402 of the arms 202 a′-202 b′. The modified fold 402 mayenable the arms 202 a′-202 b′ to fold to enable a compact state for theeyeglasses 140 so that the eyeglasses may fit within the container 102(e.g., the container 102 may be implemented to appear similar to astandard case for eyeglasses).

The modified fold 402 may be implemented by angling the arms 202 a′-202b′ slightly downwards. The slight downwards angle of the arms 202 a′-202b′ may limit an amount of crossover area of the arms 202 a′-202 b′. Thelimited crossover area of the modified fold 402 may enable the UV lights130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 to reach the surface of moreof the arms 202 a′-202 b′ compared to a conventional fold. By exposingmore of the surface area of the arms 202 a′-202 b′ to the UV lights 130a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132, the result of the photochromicink (e.g., after activation and deactivation) may appear consistent(e.g., a relatively even application of light to all surfaces of theeyeglasses 140).

In the example shown, the modified fold 402 may be applicable to thearms 202 a′-202 b′ when the reactive object 140 is implemented aseyeglasses. Other types of reactive objects may have similar overlappingissues that may affect the exposure to the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/orthe colored lights 132 of some portion(s) of the reactive object 140.For example, earbuds may have portions that curl to secure to the ear ofthe user, which may result in an overlap. Similar types of modificationssuch as the modified fold 402 may be applied to other types of reactiveobjects with inherently different shapes (e.g., earbuds, watches, etc.)based on the design criteria of a particular implementation.

In some embodiments, the control circuit 106 may determine an amount oftime to apply the light elements 104 for each orientation of the arms202 a′-202 b′. The control circuit 106 may generate a sound output tothe speakers 110 to indicate when to change the orientation of the arms202 a′-202 b′. For example, the control circuit 106 may determine thatthe UV lights 130 a-130 n may activate the photochromic ink 142 for twominutes with one orientation (e.g., the right arm 202 a′ folded over theleft arm 202 b′), then play the notification from the speaker 110 toindicate to the user to change the orientation of the arms 202 a′-202 b′(e.g., so that the left arm 202 b′ is folded over the right arm 202 a′),then continue applying the UV lights 130 a-130 n for another two minutesin the changed orientation. Then the control circuit 106 may apply thecolored lights 132 for two minutes and then the notification may beplayed again so that the user may change the orientation of the armsback to the original orientation (e.g., the right arm 202 a′ folded overthe left arm 202 b′) and then continue applying the colored lights 132for another two minutes.

Referring to FIG. 10, a diagram illustrating an embodiment of thepresent invention in the context of earbuds is shown. An embodiment 420is shown. The embodiment 420 may comprise reactive components 140 a′-140b′. In the example shown, the reactive components 140 a′-140 b′ may beearbuds.

The reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ may comprise respective ear hooks 422a-422 b, housings 424 a-424 b and/or speakers 426 a-426 b. The ear hooks422 a-422 b may support the reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ on the earsof the user. The housings 424 a-424 b may comprise the electronics forplaying audio (e.g., a battery, an audio processor, a Bluetoothcommunication device, etc.). The speakers 426 a-426 b may fit into theears of the users and output the audio.

The housings 424 a-424 b are shown comprising the photochromic ink 142.In some embodiments, the ear hooks 422 a-422 b and/or the speakers 426a-426 b may also comprise the photochromic ink 142. However, when thereactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ are worn, the ear hooks 422 a-422 b maybe hidden from view behind the ears of the user and the speakers 426a-426 b may be hidden from view inside the ears of the user (e.g., acolor and/or design of the earhooks 422 a-422 b and/or the speakers 426a-426 b may be irrelevant). Generally, the housings 424 a-424 b arevisible when the earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ are worn.

The photochromic ink 142 applied to the housings 424 a-424 b (and/orother components) of the reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ may enable theuser to select the desired color/design. The container 102 may beconfigured to fit the reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ inside. The UVlights 130 a-130 n may activate the photochromic ink 142 and then thecolored lights 132 may deactivate specific color channels of thephotochromic ink 142 (e.g., similar to the example shown in associationwith FIG. 8).

Reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ may be one example implementation of thesystem 100. In another example, the system 100 may be implemented withthe reactive object 140 implemented as a watch. In yet another example,the system 100 may be implemented with the reactive object 140implemented as a guitar body. In still another example, the system 100may be implemented with the reactive object 140 implemented as a helmet(e.g., a bike helmet, a hockey helmet, a football helmet, etc.). Inanother example, the system 100 may be implemented with the reactiveobject 140 implemented as various types of sports equipment (e.g., ahockey stick, a ski pole, a skateboard, skis, a snowboard, etc.). In yetanother example, the system 100 may be implemented with the reactiveobject 140 implemented as a drink koozie. The type of the reactiveobject 140 implemented may be varied according to the design criteria ofa particular implementation.

Referring to FIG. 11, a diagram illustrating various sizes of containersis shown. A view 450 of multiple containers 102 a-102 c is shown. Thecontainers 102 a-102 c may represent various embodiments of thecontainer 102 of the system 100. The container 102 a may be a relativelylarger size. The container 102 b may be a container approximately thesize of an eyeglasses container (e.g., inches wide, 3 inches deep and 2inches in height). The container 102 c may be a container approximatelythe size of the reactive earbuds 140 a′-140 b′ (e.g., 3 inches wide, 2inches deep and 2 inches in height).

The containers 102 a-102 c may be representative examples of varioussizes of containers that may be implemented by the system 100. Thecontainers 102 a-102 c may be designed according to the size of thevarious reactive objects 140 that have the photochromic dye/ink 142. Forexample, a container with a similar size as the container 102 c may beused for a watch. In another example, one of the containers 102 a-102 cmay be long and narrow to fit sports equipment (e.g., a ski pole or ahockey stick) implemented with the photochromic dye/ink 142. In yetanother example, one of the containers 102 a-102 c may have the size ofa guitar case for a guitar implemented with the photochromic dye/ink142. The size and/or shape of the container 102 may be varied accordingto the design criteria of a particular implementation.

The container 102 a is shown having a lid 452. A latch 454 may beimplemented to secure the lid 452. Securing the lid 452 may enable thelight elements 104 to activate and/or deactivate the photochromic ink142 on the reactive object 140 when the reactive object 140 is withinthe container 102 a without allowing external light sources into thecontainer 102 a. The lid 452 may enable the container 102 a to beimplemented as a box.

The power source 108 is shown within the container 102 a. In the exampleshown, the power source 108 may be a battery and a driver circuit forthe light elements 104. The control circuit 106′ is shown outside of thecontainer 102 a. In the example shown, the control circuit 106′ may be amanual switch. For example, the control circuit 106′ may provide aninterface for enabling the user to manually adjust the light elements104 (e.g., turn on/off the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the coloredlights 132, select a color combination for the colored lights 132,select an intensity of the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the coloredlights 132, etc.).

A cable 456 is shown connected to the control circuit 106′. A connector458 is shown at one end of the cable 456. In one example, the connector458 may be a USB plug. A port 460 is shown on the power source 108. Theport 460 may be part of the input/output 116 of the container 102 a. Inan example, the port 460 may be a USB port. For example, the connector458 may connect to the port 460. The connection of the connector 458 tothe port 460 may enable the power supply 108 to receive input from thecontrol circuit 106′. In an example, the input received by the controlcircuit 106′ may be sent to the power supply 108 via the cable 456 andthe power supply 108 may adjust the light elements 104 in response tothe input from the control circuit 106′.

The container 102 b is shown having the outer shell 252 a-252 b. Theouter shell 252 a-252 b may enable the container 102 b to be implementedas a clamshell container. The container 102 b is shown with the outershell 252 a-252 b opened. The inner surface 254 a is shown with theouter shell 252 a-252 b opened.

A light strip 470 is shown on the inner surface 254 a. The light strip470 may comprise the UV lights 130 a-130 n (only the UV light 130 i islabeled for clarity). Light strips 472 a-472 b are shown on the innersurface 254 a. The light strips 472 a-472 b may comprise the coloredlights 132 (only the colored LED 134 i and the colored LED 136 i arelabeled for clarity). The colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs136 a-136 n may be arranged throughout either one of the light strips472 a-472 b. In the example shown, the individual LEDs for the UV lights130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 are shown. In someembodiments, the light strip 470 and/or the light strips 472 a-472 b maybe covered with a cover (e.g., to appear as a light bar).

In an example, the power supply 108 may be connected to the light strip470 and the light strips 472 a-472 b. The control circuit 106′ mayreceive input to determine which of the light elements 104 to activate.The control circuit 106′ may present a signal to the power supply 108and the driver circuit of the power supply 108 may provide anappropriate amount of power to one or more of the light strip 470 and/orthe light strips 472 a-472 b.

The container 102 c is shown having the outer shell 252 a-252 b. Theouter shell 252 a-252 b may enable the container 102 a to be implementedas a clamshell container. The container 102 c is shown with the outershell 252 a-252 b closed. For example, the reactive earbuds 140 a′-140b′ may be within the container 102 c and the light elements 104 may beapplying the light to select the color/design for the photochromic ink142.

Referring to FIG. 12, a diagram illustrating lights implemented in theinterior of a container is shown. A view 500 is shown. The view 500 maycomprise an interior view of the container 102 a (described inassociation with FIG. 11). The interior view 500 may comprise the innersurface 254 a of the container 102 a. The interior view 500 may comprisethe light strips 470 a-470 b and the light strips 472 a-472 c. Theinterior view 500 may comprise the manual control circuit 106′ and thecable 456. The manual control circuit 106′ is shown outside of thecontainer 102.

The light strips 470 a-470 b are shown routed throughout the innersurface 254 a (e.g., on each side of the inner surface). The lightstrips 470 a-470 b may comprise the UV lights 130 a-130 n. Routing thelight strips 470 a-470 b throughout the inner surface 254 a may enablethe ultraviolet light generated by the UV lights 130 a-130 n to beapplied to the reactive object 140 from various different angles.

The light strips 472 a-472 c are shown routed throughout the innersurface 254 a (e.g., on each side of the inner surface). The lightstrips 472 a-472 c may comprise the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n. Routing the light strips 472 a-472 cthroughout the inner surface 254 a may enable the visible and/orinvisible light generated by the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or thecolored LEDs 136 a-136 n to be applied to the reactive object 140 fromvarious different angles.

The colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n are shownon each of the light strips 472 a-472 c. In one example, the coloredLEDs 134 a-134 n may be arranged to alternate with the colored LEDs 136a-136 n (e.g., the colored LED 134 a may be next to the colored LED 136a and the colored LED 134 b may be next to the colored LED 136 a, etc.).In another example, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n may be randomlyarranged throughout the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n. Generally, the coloredLEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be arranged toprovide visible light coverage to all sides of the reactive object 140when the colored lights 132 are emitting light. The arrangement of thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n may be variedaccording to the design criteria of a particular implementation.

A wire 502 a is shown connected to the light strip 472 b. A wire 502 bis shown connected to the light strip 472 c. A wire 502 c is shownconnected to the light strip 472 a. A wire 502 d is shown connected tothe light strip 470 a. The wires 502 a-502 d may be connected to thepower supply 108 (not shown). The wires 502 a-502 d may provide signalsto the light strips 470 a-470 b and/or 472 a-472 c. For example, themanual control circuit 106′ may provide information about the intensityand/or wavelength of the light emission for the lighting elements 104and the cable 456 may transmit the information to the power supply 108.The power supply 108 may provide input signals to the light strips 470a-470 b and/or 472 a-472 c over the wires 502 a-502 d to activate,deactivate and/or adjust the light output by the UV lights 130 a-130 n,the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n.

The manual control circuit 106′ may comprise buttons 510 a-510 d. Thebuttons 510 a-510 d may enable a user to select the output for the lightelements 104. In one example, the buttons 510 a-510 d may be configuredto enable the user to select a color (e.g., red) and the control circuit106′ may determine the appropriate settings for the UV lights 130 a-130n and/or the colored lights 132 to alter the photochromic ink 142 to ared color. In another example, the buttons 510 a-510 d may be configuredto enable the user to select an intensity of light, a length of time toemit the light and/or the wavelength of the light generated by the UVlights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132 (e.g., the user mayselect red for five minutes, and the control circuit 106′ may deactivatethe UV lights 132 a-132 n and adjust the colored lights 132 to emit ared color, which may result in the cyan color channel of thephotochromic ink 142 being deactivated. The type of input received bythe manual control circuit 106′ and/or the type of output signalgenerated by the manual control circuit 106′ may be varied according tothe design criteria of a particular implementation.

In the example shown, the colored lights 132 may comprise two types ofcolored LEDs (e.g., the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the colored LEDs136 a-136 n). The deactivation of color channels of the photochromic ink142 may react to particular wavelengths of visible light. In someembodiments, three types of colored LEDs may be implemented (e.g., red,green and blue lights). In the example shown, two types of colored LEDsmay be implemented, and the control circuit 106 may blend the amount ofcolor generated by each of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and the coloredLEDs 136 a-136 n and the amount of time to apply the blend of color toachieve particular wavelengths for deactivating color channels of thephotochromic ink 142.

Referring to FIG. 13, a diagram illustrating color selection using asmartphone companion app is shown. An example color selection option 550is shown. The example color selection option 550 may be implementedusing a companion app for a smartphone. In another example, a companionapp may be implemented for a smartwatch, a desktop computer (e.g., aWindows/MacOS/Linux program) and/or a dedicated control device. The typeof device implementing the companion app may be varied according to thedesign criteria of a particular implementation.

A smartphone 552 is shown. The smartphone 552 may be a remote deviceconfigured to provide an input signal to the container 102. Thesmartphone 552 may comprise a touchscreen interface 554 and/or a button556. The touchscreen interface 554 may be configured to receive userinput (e.g., touches, taps, gestures, etc.) and/or display video output.The button 556 may be configured to receive input.

The touchscreen interface 554 is shown displaying a companion app 560.The companion app 560 may be configured to work with the system 100. Inan example, the smartphone 552 may be configured to communicate with thesystem 100 using the communication device 112. In an example, thecompanion app 560 may be configured to read data from anapplication-program interface (API) provided by the communication device112 and/or the control circuit 106 (e.g., to display information aboutthe status of the light elements 104, an amount of time remaining forthe steps 380 a-380 c, an amount of power remaining in the battery 108,etc. In another example, the companion app 560 may be configured toaccept input from a user and provide the input to the API (e.g., toselect a color for the photochromic ink 142 and/or to directly controlthe light elements 104). The capabilities of the companion app 560 maybe varied according to the design criteria of a particularimplementation.

The companion app 560 may provide a color selector 562. The colorselector 562 may comprise various color options. In one example, thecolor options of the color selector 562 may be configured to enable theuser to select the final result color (or pattern or texture) for thereactive object 140. In another example, the color options of the colorselector 562 may be configured to enable the user to select thewavelengths for the visible light generated by the colored lights 132(e.g., indirect control of the final result color for the reactiveobject 140).

In the example shown, the color selector 562 may comprise various coloroptions 570 a-570 n. The user may tap one of the color options 570 a-570n and the smartphone 552 may communicate the color selected to thecommunication device 112. In some embodiments, the color options 570a-570 n may comprise preselected colors (e.g., the colors that may bebest produced using the photochromic ink 142). In some embodiments, thecolor options 570 a-570 n may comprise favorite colors (e.g., colorspreviously selected by the user). In some embodiments, the color options570 a-570 n may comprise any color (e.g., a color wheel providing agradient of hue/saturation/brightness, an input for hexadecimal colorcodes, etc.). In the example shown, single color selections are shown.However, the color options 570 a-570 n may comprise otherpatterns/designs (e.g., color gradients, patterns, images, etc.). Theinterface for selecting one of the color options 570 a-570 n may bevaried according to the design criteria of a particular implementation.

In some embodiments, the user may select one of the color options 570a-570 n. The companion app 560 may convert the color selection into datareadable by the control circuit 106. The smartphone 552 may communicatethe data to the system 100 via the communication device 112. The controlcircuit 106 may read the color selection data. The control circuit 106may determine the combination of the light elements 104 to apply togenerate the selected color as the final result for the photochromic ink142. The control circuit 106 may determine the amount of time to applythe UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the colored lights 132. The controlcircuit 106 may communicate signals to the UV lights 130 a-130 n, thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n to performthe activation/deactivation of the photochromic ink 142. When the amountof time for applying the UV lights 130 a-130 n and/or the combination ofthe colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n haspassed, the control circuit 106 may generate notification data. Thenotification data may be generated in a format readable by the companionapp 560. The notification data may be communicated by the communicationdevice 112 to the smartphone 552. The companion app 560 may generate anotification to indicate to the user that the reactive object 140 isready (e.g., the color/design has been achieved).

Referring to FIG. 14, a method (or process) 600 is shown. The method 600may apply a desired color to a reactive object. The method 600 generallycomprises a step (or state) 602, a step (or state) 604, a step (orstate) 606, a step (or state) 608, a step (or state) 610, a decisionstep (or state) 612, a step (or state) 614, a step (or state) 616, astep (or state) 618, a decision step (or state) 620, a step (or state)622, a step (or state) 624, a decision step (or state) 626, and a step(or state) 628.

The step 602 may start the method 600. In the step 604, the user mayplace the reactive object 140 into the container 102. Next, in the step606, the control circuit 106 of the container 102 may receive an inputfor a desired color/design for the reactive object 140. In one example,the control circuit 106 may read an input received from the companionapp 560. In another example, the user may provide the input using themanual control circuit 106′. In still another example, the user mayprovide the input using another type of device connected via theinput/output port 116. Next, the method 600 may move to the step 608.

In the step 608, the control circuit 106 may determine the amount and/orlength of UV light activation. The amount and/or length of UV lightactivation may be determined in response to the desired color/designselected by the user. The control circuit 106 may determine thecharacteristics of the UV lights 130 a-130 n. Next, in the step 610, theUV lights 130 a-130 n may generate the UV light onto the reactive object140. The UV light may activate the photochromic ink/dye 142 of thereactive object 140. For example, the control circuit 106 may activatethe driver circuit of the UV lights 130 a-130 n according to thecharacteristics determined. Next, the method 600 may move to thedecision step 612.

In the decision step 612, the control circuit 106 may determine whetherthe amount of time for the UV light activation has been reached. Forexample, the characteristics of the UV lights 130 a-130 n determined maycomprise an amount of time, and the control circuit 106 may track theamount of time that the UV lights 130 a-130 n have been activated. Theamount of time may be determined by the control circuit 106 in responseto desired color/design selected by the user. If the amount of time hasnot been reached, then the method 600 may return to the step 610 (e.g.,the UV light generated by the UV lights 130 a-130 n may continue to beapplied to the reactive object 140). If the amount of time has beenreached, then the method 600 may move to the step 614.

In the step 614, the control circuit 106 may determine a wavelengthand/or length (e.g., amount of time) for applying the visible light forthe deactivation of the color channels of the photochromic ink 142. Thecontrol circuit 106 may determine the characteristics of the coloredlights 132 in response to the color/design selected by the user. Next,in the step 616, the control circuit 106 may select a combination of thecolored lights 132 in order to generate the wavelength for thedeactivation of the color channels of the photochromic ink 142. Thecontrol circuit 106 may determine the characteristics of the coloredLEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n (e.g., acombination of colors to emit) in order to achieve the wavelength. Inthe step 618, the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136a-136 n may generate the colored light (e.g., the light at thedetermined wavelength in the visible spectrum of light) to be appliedonto the reactive object 140. The colored light may deactivatepre-determined color channels of the photochromic ink/dye 142 of thereactive object 140. For example, the control circuit 106 may activatethe driver circuit of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the coloredLEDs 136 a-136 n according to the characteristics determined. Next, themethod 600 may move to the decision step 620.

In the decision step 620, the control circuit 106 may determine whetherthe amount of time for the colored light deactivation has been reached.For example, the characteristics of the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/orthe colored LEDs 136 a-136 n determined may comprise an amount of time,and the control circuit 106 may track the amount of time that thecolored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136 a-136 n have beenactivated. The amount of time may be determined by the control circuit106 in response to desired color/design selected by the user. If theamount of time has not been reached, then the method 600 may return tothe step 618 (e.g., the visible and/or invisible spectrum lightgenerated by the colored LEDs 134 a-134 n and/or the colored LEDs 136a-136 n may continue to be applied to the reactive object 140). If theamount of time has been reached, then the method 600 may move to thestep 622.

In the step 622, the control circuit 106 may generate a notification.The notification may indicate that the application of the selected colorhas been completed. In one example, the notification may be an audiotone and/or message generated by the speakers 110. In another example,the notification may be provided by a LED implemented on the externalportion of the container 102 (e.g., a green light indicating thereactive object 140 is ready). In yet another example, the notificationmay be generated by the communication device 112 to provide a message(e.g., a push notification) that may be presented by the companion app560. Next, in the step 624, the user may remove the reactive object 140from the container 102 for inspection (e.g., to ensure that the finalresult of the color/design is as desired). Next, the method 600 may moveto the decision step 626.

In the decision step 626, the user may determine whether a newdesign/color is desired. In one example, the user may desire a newcolor/design for the reactive object 140 if the output was not asexpected. In another example, the user may desire a new color/design forthe reactive object 140 is the color/design has faded (e.g., faded overtime while being worn/used). In yet another example, the user may desirea new color/design because the user wants a change in style. If the userdoes not want a new design, then the method 600 may move to the step628. In the step 628, the user may wear/use the reactive object 140.Next, the method 600 may return to the step 624 (e.g., the user maydecide to change the color/design at any time). In the decision step626, if the user does want a new design, then the method 600 may returnto the step 604. For example, the user may repeat the steps 604-628 inorder to select and/or apply a new color/design. The selecting and/orapplying of a new color/design for the reactive object 140 may berepeated as many times as desired by the user.

The functions performed by the diagrams of FIGS. 1-14 may be implementedusing one or more of a conventional general purpose processor, digitalcomputer, microprocessor, microcontroller, RISC (reduced instruction setcomputer) processor, CISC (complex instruction set computer) processor,SIMD (single instruction multiple data) processor, signal processor,central processing unit (CPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), videodigital signal processor (VDSP) and/or similar computational machines,programmed according to the teachings of the specification, as will beapparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s). Appropriate software,firmware, coding, routines, instructions, opcodes, microcode, and/orprogram modules may readily be prepared by skilled programmers based onthe teachings of the disclosure, as will also be apparent to thoseskilled in the relevant art(s). The software is generally executed froma medium or several media by one or more of the processors of themachine implementation.

The invention may also be implemented by the preparation of ASICs(application specific integrated circuits), Platform ASICs, FPGAs (fieldprogrammable gate arrays), PLDs (programmable logic devices), CPLDs(complex programmable logic devices), sea-of-gates, RFICs (radiofrequency integrated circuits), ASSPs (application specific standardproducts), one or more monolithic integrated circuits, one or more chipsor die arranged as flip-chip modules and/or multi-chip modules or byinterconnecting an appropriate network of conventional componentcircuits, as is described herein, modifications of which will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art(s).

The invention thus may also include a computer product which may be astorage medium or media and/or a transmission medium or media includinginstructions which may be used to program a machine to perform one ormore processes or methods in accordance with the invention. Execution ofinstructions contained in the computer product by the machine, alongwith operations of surrounding circuitry, may transform input data intoone or more files on the storage medium and/or one or more outputsignals representative of a physical object or substance, such as anaudio and/or visual depiction. The storage medium may include, but isnot limited to, any type of disk including floppy disk, hard drive,magnetic disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD and magneto-optical disks andcircuits such as ROMs (read-only memories), RAMs (random accessmemories), EPROMs (erasable programmable ROMs), EEPROMs (electricallyerasable programmable ROMs), UVPROMs (ultra-violet erasable programmableROMs), Flash memory, magnetic cards, optical cards, and/or any type ofmedia suitable for storing electronic instructions.

The elements of the invention may form part or all of one or moredevices, units, components, systems, machines and/or apparatuses. Thedevices may include, but are not limited to, servers, workstations,storage array controllers, storage systems, personal computers, laptopcomputers, notebook computers, palm computers, cloud servers, personaldigital assistants, portable electronic devices, battery powereddevices, set-top boxes, encoders, decoders, transcoders, compressors,decompressors, pre-processors, post-processors, transmitters, receivers,transceivers, cipher circuits, cellular telephones, digital cameras,positioning and/or navigation systems, medical equipment, heads-updisplays, wireless devices, audio recording, audio storage and/or audioplayback devices, video recording, video storage and/or video playbackdevices, game platforms, peripherals and/or multi-chip modules. Thoseskilled in the relevant art(s) would understand that the elements of theinvention may be implemented in other types of devices to meet thecriteria of a particular application.

The terms “may” and “generally” when used herein in conjunction with“is(are)” and verbs are meant to communicate the intention that thedescription is exemplary and believed to be broad enough to encompassboth the specific examples presented in the disclosure as well asalternative examples that could be derived based on the disclosure. Theterms “may” and “generally” as used herein should not be construed tonecessarily imply the desirability or possibility of omitting acorresponding element.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a containercomprising (i) an outer shell comprising a material configured toprotect contents of said apparatus and (ii) an inner surface, wherein(a) said outer shell is configured to open to enable said contents to beplaced on said inner surface and (b) a cavity is formed within saidcontainer when said outer shell is closed; a plurality of lightsimplemented on said inner surface each configured to adjust acharacteristic of light output in response to a signal; and a circuitconfigured to generate said signal in response to an input, wherein (i)said circuit is implemented between said outer shell and said innersurface and (ii) a reactive material of said contents of said containeris configured to change appearance in response to said characteristic ofsaid light output.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i)said container is an eyeglasses container and (ii) said contents areeyeglasses comprising a frame implementing said reactive material. 3.The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said change in appearancealters a color of said frame of said eyeglasses.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said reactive material comprises a dyeconfigured to change an appearance of said reactive material in responseto said characteristic of said light output.
 5. The apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein said characteristic of said light output comprises awavelength and said reactive material comprises a dye configured tochange to a particular color in response to said wavelength of saidlight output.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprisinga battery configured to supply power to said plurality of lights andsaid circuit, wherein said battery is implemented between said outershell and said inner surface.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising a power converter configured to convert an inputpower from an external source to a power supply for said plurality oflights and said circuit.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid input is provided to said circuit by a physical switch device. 9.The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises acommunication device configured to connect to a remote device andreceive said input from said remote device.
 10. The apparatus accordingto claim 9, wherein (i) said remote device is a smartphone, (ii) saidsmartphone is configured to run an app and (iii) said app is configuredto control said input communicated to said circuit.
 11. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein (i) said plurality of lights comprise oneor more of RGB LEDs, ultraviolet lights and infrared lights, (ii) saidcharacteristic of light output by said ultraviolet lights are configuredto activate each of a plurality of color channels of said reactivematerial and (iii) said characteristic of light output by said RGB LEDsare configured to deactivate one or more of said color channels based ona wavelength of said RGB LEDs.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said contents comprise earbuds.
 13. The apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein (i) said plurality of lights comprise one type of lightemitting element and (ii) said one type of light emitting element isconfigured to emit each of (a) ultraviolet light, (b) visible light and(c) invisible light.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 1, whereinsaid contents comprise at least one of a smartphone case, a watch, aguitar body and sports equipment.
 15. The apparatus according to claim1, wherein (i) said appearance of said reactive material is changed inresponse to a modification of said reactive material and (ii) saidmodification of said reactive material comprises at least one of (a)sintering said reactive material, (b) applying multiple layers of colorchannels of said reactive material to said contents, (c) mixing multiplecolor channels of said reactive material before being applied to saidcontents, (d) applying a photochromic coating on said contents inaddition to said reactive material and (e) applying a non-photochromiccoating on said contents in addition to said reactive material.
 16. Asystem comprising: a container comprising (i) a plurality of lights eachconfigured to (a) generate light and (b) adjust a characteristic of saidlight in response to a signal and (ii) a circuit configured to generatesaid signal in response to an input; and eyeglass frames comprising areactive material, wherein (a) a design of said reactive material isconfigured to change in response to said characteristic of said lightand (b) said eyeglass frames are exposed to said light when enclosedwithin said container.
 17. The system according to claim 16, whereinsaid reactive material is at least one of a dye and an ink.
 18. Thesystem according to claim 16, wherein (i) said reactive materialcomprises a plurality of compositions to create a design pattern and(ii) each of said compositions generates a different appearance inresponse to a same one of said characteristic of said light.
 19. Thesystem according to claim 16, wherein said eyeglass frames areconfigured to secure at least one of (a) prescription lenses and (b)non-prescription lenses.
 20. A method for applying color to anaccessory, comprising the steps of: (A) inserting said accessory into acontainer, wherein said accessory comprises a photochromic ink; (B)receiving an input, wherein said input is a result color for saidphotochromic ink; (C) determining characteristics of UV light to applyin response to said result color, wherein said characteristics of saidUV light comprise a first amount of time; (D) determiningcharacteristics of color spectrum light to apply in response to saidresult color, wherein said characteristics of said color spectrum lightcomprise (i) a combination of colors and a second amount of time; (E)generating said UV light according to said characteristics of said UVlight determined; (F) deactivating said UV light and generating saidcolor spectrum light after said first amount of time has passed, whereinsaid color spectrum light is generated according to said combination ofcolors; and (G) deactivating said color spectrum light after said secondamount of time has passed, wherein (i) said UV light is applied to saidaccessory to activate color channels of said photochromic ink, (ii) saidcolor spectrum light is applied to said accessory to deactivateparticular color channels of said photochromic ink and (iii) saidcombination of colors determined for said color spectrum light isconfigured to deactivate said particular color channels to achieve saidresult color for said photochromic ink.